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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "next of kin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sarrammy@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:26:19 +0100
Subject: *NEXT OF KIN*

Dear Sir/Madam After going through your profile I decided to contact you for friendship and assistance and distribution of my inheritance, I have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any Pains so I decided to contact you through this medium. I got your Contact through a personal search via the internet. As you read this, I don't want you to feel sorry for me, because, I Believe everyone will die someday. My name is Sarah May I am a dying woman who have decided to donate what I have to you/ church/charity Organizations. I was diagnosed with esophageal Cancer for about 7 Years ago; I am married to Sir Gerald Allport who worked with British Judicial Commission in Chelsea England for over a decade before he died on 5th of July in the year 2004. We were married for fifteen years without a child and he has left me everything he worked for. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone. Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my self as that was the only thing I Cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it. Now that I know My time is near I have been touched by God to donate from what I have Inherited from my late husband for the good work of God, rather than Allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in the U.A.E, London and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members of my family to Close one of my accounts and donate the money, which I have there to Charity organization in Bulgaria; they refused and kept the money to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended with what I have left for them.. The last of my money which is the huge Cash deposit that I have with Financial Firm Abroad .I will want you to Help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations And let them know that it is me Sarah May that is making this Generous donation. I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time to come.. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me with good heart Please pray that the good Lord forgives me my sins. I have asked God to Forgive me and I believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation in less than few days. I decided to WILL/donate the money to you for the good work of the lord, And also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the Assistance of the widows according to (JAMES 1:27). I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit This money and my husband relatives are not inclined to helping poor Persons and I do not want my husband's hard earned money to be misused Or spent in the manner in which my late husband did not specify. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the Fact that my relatives are around me and my health status. I wish you All the best and May the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use The funds well and always extend the good work to others. NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't Want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me. Regards, Sarah May Mrs. Please contact me through the email address below: sarrammy@aol.com

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